Penalty
by theromancewriter
Summary: Maureen has disappeared after making the biggest mistake of her life. But after 7 months she returns, pregnant and cold. Her friends have all moved on, some have forgiven her but others are alittle less sure. What will happen when they find out who the fa
1. Chapter 1

I sat on the edge of the corner, biting my lip and wishing I was somewhere else, somebody else. The cigarette's smoke crawled down my throat and into my lungs, and I breathed out the remainder of the cigarettes smoke. I knew that I shouldn't be smoking, and that it was bad for the baby but did I really want the baby in the first place? Would I want it knowing that it had been a mistake and one that I couldn't take back ever? Would I really want to be a mom? Would I be a good mom? All these questions ran through my head and I didn't know the answer to one of them, though I had a little voice telling me that I should do the right thing, put out the cigarette and have the baby, raise it and forget the father completely. But how could you forget someone you had a connection with as a friend for so many years and then make a mistake one night and in that one night, in that one mistake ,The baby kicked and I groaned under the unexpected kick, I put my hand on my swollen belly and yearned for his hand to be below mine. And me saying the oldest line in the book "Can you feel him kick? Right there he did it again." I wanted that feeling of having a person that cared for the baby inside me as much as I cared for it.  
As I finished the cigarette I put it out on the curb beside me and slowly got up, trying not to fall in the process. I needed a place to stay, badly, it was starting to get cold and I didn't have a jacket and I didn't want to freeze. Only one person's apartment popped into my head and I shook it out of my head as quickly as it had come. No way could I stay there, no way would they let me stay there. Not after what had happened. Too many people hated me, and I hated myself for what I had done. No way could I got back there.

'But you need a place to stay.' My head screamed at me  
"Shut up." I said out loud.

I looked around, prostitutes started coming out, it was time to find a place to stay. If I wanted to live the night then I needed a place to stay.

"Here I go." I say to myself and I begin to walk in the direction of the apartment.

I stare up at the building. The building I used to call a home, did they even live there still? It had been so long since I was there, I hoped they did. I reached into my pocket and felt the key that I had been keeping safe for so long. I walked to the door and unlocked it. I walked up the stairs and stopped before the door.

"This is it." I said to myself

I knocked, hoped that they didn't hate me as much anymore.

"Coming." Someone yelled through the door.

I took a deep breath and waited for them to open the door.  
The door opened and there stood a girl that I had never seen before. Yet she looked familiar.

"Uh hi. Does Mark Cohen live here?" I ask  
"Yeah, who are you?" The girl asks

I see Mark in the background.

"Who's at the door?" He asks  
"Someone asking for you." The girl says

Mark leans to get a better view of the door and we connect eyes.

"Maureen?" Mark asks getting up  
I smile and Nod "Hi Mark." I reply

Mark sort of pushes aside the girl and he grabs my hand.

"Oh my god. How are you?" Mark asks as he pulls me in a hug.  
"Not to good, Mark. Not to good." I reply

We separate and he looks down at my very swollen belly.

"Come sit down." Mark says inviting me into the loft.

I walk into the loft, nothing has changed since I was here last. Except the girl, she's still standing by the door when I sit down on the couch. She looks to be younger then Mark and I, got to be about 20 or so. Mark grabs her hand and leads her to one of the chairs, he sits down and she sits on the floor between his legs. Is it possible that Mark has gotten over me and actually found someone he can live with?

"So where have you been for the last seven months?" Mark asks  
"Uh…here and there. I've been living Jersey, I had a good job until they found out I was pregnant and then I got fired and I traveled a little bit and I wound up here. I hope its ok if I came here, I hope I'm not interrupting something."   
"Oh of course not. Your not interrupting anything." Mark says as he plays with the girls hand, He notices me starring at her. "This is Avril." Mark says the girls waves politely at me.  
"Hi Avril, I'm Maureen, nice to meet you." I say

There's a weird silence between the three of us. Until I hear people coming up the stairs, people laughing, Mark, Avril and I all look at the door, it opens and in walks four people that I had hoped never to see again. But what did I expect coming here?

Roger, Mimi, Angel and Collins all walk in laughing, Roger quickly stops laughing as he notices me sitting on the couch. Mimi looks in the direction of Rogers gaze and sees me. She stops laughing, and then Angel and Collins stop. They all stare at me, as if I was a ghost.

"Maureen?" Angel asks  
"Hi, Angel." I say  
"Oh my god!" Angels true side comes out.

I get up and he rushes to me. We embrace and I feel like I'm at home finally in Angels touch. Mimi rushes to our side and all three of us hug. Long lost friends I thought would never accept me again. As we hug I look over at Collins, he's starring at me. His face drops and I drop my head not wanting to see his face.   
The three of us stop hugging and Angel leads Mimi and I to the couch.

"Oh my god. Mo, where have you been?" Angel asks "We've all be so worried." He lies, and I know it.  
"It's a long story." I say

Angel rubs my shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Roger asks his anger coming out in his voice.  
"I was dropped off in Alphabet City and left to fend for myself, and I need a place to stay so I thought…"  
"Well you thought wrong!" Roger says "You have to get out."

I nod and get up and start to walk out of the loft when Angel jumps up.

"Roger come on. She's tired, it's cold out and she's pregnant. Look at her. She made a mistake, and she came here. If she came here it just shows that she feels bad for what she did. Forget Regret Roger."

I close my eyes. Angel always came to my rescue. Even when I made the biggest mistake of my life. Even when I fucked up everything for all of my friends.

"No, Angel." I say turning around "Roger is right. I shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry. I'll find some other place to stay."

I walk out the door of the loft and down the stairs. I can hear Mimi, Angel and Rogers voices arguing. I walk out of the building and out onto the cold street. I start walking down the street.

"MAUREEN, WAIT UP!" I hear Collins voice yell at me.

I stop and close my eyes. I turn around and open my eyes, there he is running towards me. He stops two feet before me.

"Hi Tom." I say, I look at the ground.  
"Maureen. You can stay at our apartment. You know where it is right?" He asks  
"yeah." I answer  
"Here's the key. Angel and I will meet you there once everything calms down. Make yourself at home." I hands me a key  
"Collins, I don't think…"I start to protest  
"No you don't. But that doesn't mean we don't love you. Just go to our house. Have a shower and We'll meet you there in about two or three hours."

Before I can say anything he turns around and walks back into the apartment.  
I stand there in the street for a while, and then begin to walk in the direction of Angel and Collins apartment.


	2. Angels Touch

**The next chapter I'm not exactly proud of. I really don't know who the father is either. At least not yet, I'm going to let the story lead me in the direction it wants to go. I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter. And if your reading this, please review because I find out if I should carry on with a story by how many reviews I get. So please review.**

Maureen sat on the couch, her back was killing her. She stretched out and lay there, waiting for she didn't know what. She just lay there waiting, waiting for something bad to happen. For Angel or Roger or worse Joanne to come bursting through the doors, screaming at Maureen to get out and never come back for as long as she lived. This was not a feeling that Maureen liked at all. Sure she enjoyed attention but this kind of attention was just to much for her.  
She squirmed when the baby kicked.

"I know, I know." She said to her stomach. "We're not going to be here long, sooner or later they'll figure out who your father is. And then nobody will want me ever again. Especially your daddy." She said rubbing her stomach.

Maureen saw the remote to the television on the coffee table among the beer and the cheap wine bottles, she got up, and picked up the remote. She lay back down on the couch and turned on the television.  
The color was a strong green and sometimes yellow. But Maureen didn't mind, this was better then thinking about what was waiting for her in the next hour, day, week, month. She knew that sooner or later everyone would figure it out, and everyone would hate her, and the father and she would be discarded like a old rag, thrown out onto the street to fend for herself.

As Maureen watched the television, she felt her self nod off occasionally. She would get back up and try and stay awake but the whole events that had happened over the last couple of days were just to tiring for the pregnant drama queen and within five minutes she was out like a light.

Angel and Collins walked into their apartment. They were silent, they didn't know what to say about the last two hours conversation that had happened back at the loft. Roger had ranted and raved at Mark for letting Maureen back into their lives, when they should have just gotten on with their lives and forgotten about her and everything that she had done to upset their lives. Angel and Mimi had tried to defend Maureen on her behalf but Roger was just to over powering, and finally Collins and Angel got up and left. They knew that it would be a rough week or so ahead, but right now they had to concentrate on the pregnant friend sleeping on their couch.

Angel looked at Maureen's sleeping body. Her stomach sticking out like a balloon, in Maureen's usual tight shirt.

"What should we do?" Collins asked quietly

"Be quiet. We need to move her to the bed." Angel said, when he saw his lovers face in protestation, Angel said "Yes. She gets it. Because she's pregnant, and god knows what she's been through the last seven months."

Collins closed his eyes, then opened them and looked at his drag queen lover.

"Well then what do you suggest we do to get a seven month pregnant woman off the couch and into the bed?" Collins asked

"First, I need to change the sheets." Angel said, remembering the previous nights happenings between him and his lover.

Angel walked to the bedroom and opened the closet door, got out a fresh sheet, took off the old one and put on the new one. When he looked up, there standing in the doorway was Collins cradling Maureen like a small child in his arms.

"Right here." Angel said pointing to the most comfortable spot on the bed

Collins quickly obliged and put down the sleeping beauty.  
Collins walked out of the bedroom, and left Angel standing over top of Maureen and looking down at her sleeping body.

"Oh honey. What did you do to make Roger so mad at you? What did you do that was bad enough to run away for seven months, when all eight of us were so close?" Angel asked Maureen's sleeping body.

Maureen didn't stir, Angel took that as a sign and quietly walked out of the bedroom trying not to make any noise when he closed the door.

"What did she do that was bad enough to make Roger loath her?" Angel asked Collins, who was sitting on the couch waiting for his lover to come back.

"It must have been something. I've only seen Roger mad like that once, and that was when April committed suicide. Roger was mad, sad and angry at the whole world but mostly April, until he learned to forgive her for what she had done." Collins explained

"I hope that everything works out fine." Angel said

"So do i. So do I" Collins kissed Angels forehead.

The two fell asleep in each others arms on the small couch.

Maureen woke up, she was in a bed. Angel's bed. She knew it from the parties that Angel used to hold for the girls. Angel, Mimi, Joanne, Maureen and plenty of Angels friends would pile into the small bedroom and most of the time all sleep in this bed. She knew that Collins must have moved her from the couch. Maureen got up and slowly walked out of the room, trying hard not to make any noise when she opened and closed the door behind her.  
She walked to the kitchen, and seeing bottles of milk in the fridge, Maureen got one. Cracked the plastic and took a long drink of the cold bottled water.

"Couldn't sleep?" Angels voice asked from the kitchen doorway.

Maureen jumped up, "Uh yeah. You?" Maureen asked

"Yeah." Angel answered

Angel reached into the fridge and pulled out water as well. He sat across from Maureen at the kitchen table .He rubbed his eyes tiredly, an looked at Maureen. Maureen was looking away, at the floor to be exact.

"Maureen honey. What happened?" Angel asked

Maureen looked up, her eyes wide. She knew the question would come sooner or later, but right away. She wasn't fully prepared for that question. What would you say to that questions after everything that had happened in the last seven months and two weeks?

"It's a long time." Maureen said

"I'm going to be up for awhile." Angel answered.

Maureen paused and looked at Angel. Maureen bent her head low and she closed her eyes.

"I made a mistake Angel." Maureen whispered

Angel reached over and put her hand on Maureen's shoulder.

"Honey, you can tell me. I won't care what you say, you can tell me Mo." Angel whispered to Maureen.

Maureen looked up, tears were staining her eyes.

"You'll hate me. Angel you'll hate me." Maureen sobbed

Angel got up and walked over to Maureen, he put his arms around her and hugged her tightly, Maureen's sobs echoed through Angel's body.

"I won't hate you. I wont hate you, whatever you did. I love and care about you too much honey, I would never be able to hate you." Angel kissed Maureen's forehead.

Angel moved to her chair and Maureen looked up at Angel. Maureen swallowed and opened her mouth about to tell Angel, when Collins walked into the room.

"Angel. What's happening?" Collins asked, tired still in his eyes and in his voice.

"Honey. Maureen and I are talking, go to bed honey. It's ok, everything's under control. Just go back to sleep baby." Angel said back to Collins.

Collins looked at his lover.

"No, its ok Ang. We'll talk about this later. I'm going back to bed." Maureen said

She got up and walked out of the room

"Mo. Please come back." Angel said to Maureen's back.

Maureen didn't turn around, and Angel closed her eyes as she heard the bedroom door close.

"I want to know what happened Collins. I want to know why Roger is so mad at Maureen. Why did she leave? That's what I want to know." Angel said to Collins putting his head in his hands. "And who the father is."

Collins didn't look at Angel after he said that. Collins knew all the answers to Angel's questions. But he knew that Maureen had to tell Angel everything, it wasn't his business to tell Angel.


	3. Visiting ex lovers

**Authors Note: Sorry its taken such a long time to get this up, I had it written for quite awhile, but my dad had the labtop so I couldn't post it! So here it is, in this chapter you find out who the father is. Hope you enjoy it, and please review!**

Maureen sipped her coffee, she looked out onto the city. The morning was a nice morning, it was a little chilly but nice. She smiled, even though she shouldn't be back she was glad to be back in the city that she loved.  
She sipped her coffee again and closed her eyes.

Angel's eyes looked from Collins to Maureen on the deck.

"I'm worried about her Tom. I'm really worried about her."

Collins looked at Angel. Angel only called Collins Tom when he was seriously worried about something. Collins found Angel seriously sexy when he was worried. Collins smiled, and took a sip of his coffee.

"What?" Angel asked when he saw Collins staring at him.

"Nothing, its just your seriously sexy when you get all worried. And I was just thinking well since we kind of have a minute to ourselves. Well…" Collins smiled

Angel smiled and winked.

"Collins honey. We can't not now, we have a guest." Angel smirked

Collins grabbed Angel's hand and started kissing it, he dragged his tongue across Angels fingers. Angel giggled.

"Stop it. I'm getting turned on." Angel kept giggling.

Collins smirked and got up off his chair, he took Angels hand and stood him up. He pulled in Angel by the waist so that they were inches apart. He kissed Angel passionately and then smiled. He was about to lift Angel up when Maureen walked in.

"Woah Love birds. Woah. Keep the smooching down please." Maureen smiled

"Honey. I tried to stop him but you know how it is." Angel smiled

Collins kissed Angels cheek.

"Come one, Mo sit down."

Angel giggled at Collins and pushed him away.

"Stop it Collins."

Angel sat down and lifted his coffee cup, he took a sip and looked at Maureen.

"Collins leave us alone for awhile, please? Go to work or something." Angel said batting off Collins.

"Ok, I'm off. Leaving you girls alone." Collins kissed Angels cheek and then grabbed his coat and opened the door. "I love you Ang." And with that he closed the door and left Maureen and Angel alone.

Maureen giggled.

"What?" Angel asked

"You two are cute." Maureen said

"Oh good, I thought you were going to say that we are disgusting." Angel giggled.

"No, beyond disgusting. Actually I started wishing that I had something like that." Maureen said, her face falling. She looked out the window.

"Honey, answer something for me please." Angel said seriously

"What?" Maureen asked looking back at Angel from the window.

"Do you love him?" Angel asked

"Who?" Maureen asked her heart beat starting to race, she was nervous and didn't want Angel to find out anything.

"The father of your baby."

Maureen looked out the window.

"Honey?" Angel asked, starting to get worried about her pregnant friend. "Maureen?"

Maureen looked back at Angel.

"Yes." Maureen answered.

"Honey. Can you tell me something that I wanted to ask you last night. Honey, who's is the father?"

Maureen looked at Angel square in the eyes. She hung her head.

"I don't know if I can tell you." Maureen said

'You can tell me anything." Angel said putting her hand on Maureen's hand.

"I'm not worried about what you'll say, I'm worried about what others will say. Joanne, Mark, Mimi, Collins."

"Maureen, we all love you. You don't have to be scared to tell us anything, you've never been scared before. So what's the difference now?" Angel asked

"Everything. Everything is different."

Maureen got up, she went to the bedroom and closed the door. Angel sighed and put his head in his hands.  
Maureen in the other room, got dressed. Grabbed her coat and snuck out of the bedroom, trying not to make a noise. She left the apartment and walked out onto the cold street. She needed to see someone.

Joanne looked around her, her apartment looked so empty since Maureen had left, but it was starting to slowly get rebuilt. Slowly Joanne was getting over Maureen, and glad that she hadn't seen Maureen, Mimi had phoned last night and told Joanne that Maureen was back in town, and Joanne hoped with all her might that Maureen would not decide to come and visit.  
Joanne's doorbell rang and Joanne jumped slightly, she walked to the door and opened it.

"Oh no." Joanne said out loud, there in front of her was Maureen.

"Hi Joanne." Maureen said smiling that smile that had always made Joanne hot and ready to pounce Maureen.

"What are you doing here?" Joanne asked

"We need to talk." Maureen answered realizing that she shouldn't have come.

"No. We don't need to talk. Actually I don't even want to see you." Joanne said closing the door.

Maureen stuck out her hand and pushed the door open.

"Please Joanne." Maureen pleaded

Joanne sighed and opened the door as a sign that Maureen could come in. The two walked to the living room, and Joanne pointed the sofa.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Joanne asked

"No thanks. I'm fine." Maureen answered

Joanne shrugged and went to the kitchen and came back with a beer in her hand.  
Joanne sat down in the chair across from the couch.

"So what do you want to talk about Maureen?" Joanne asked taking a long drink out of the fresh beer.

Maureen was silent for a moment, then she looked around and looked back at Joanne.

"I just came here to say I'm sorry."

"Uh huh. And what are you sorry for? For fucking with my heart? For fucking with my life? What exactly are you sorry for Maureen?" Joanne asked angrily

Maureen hung her head in shame and sighed.

"I know I fucked up a lot of lives. I fucked up Mark's life, Roger's, Mimi's, Angel's, Collins and yours. I fucked it all up. But I fucked up my life even more. I made the biggest mistake of my life. And now I have to pay for it."

Joanne scoffed, she took a drink and then looked at Maureen.

"And how pray tell did you fuck up your life even more then ours? Then mine?"

Maureen stood up and took off her jacket. Joanne looked down at Maureen's swollen pregnant belly. She put her hand up to her mouth. Maureen looked down at her belly and then at Joanne.

"Oh my God." Joanne whispered

Maureen nodded, she sat back down.

"You fucking bitch." Joanne said

Maureen looked taken aback. That was not what she was expecting at all, not from Joanne.

"I deserved that." Maureen acknowleged.

"You cant take care of a baby. You couldn't take care of our relationship, how in hell are going to take care of another human being?" Joanne asked

"I don't know Jo. I seriously don't know." And with that Maureen broke down in tears.

Joanne put down her beer and rushed to Maureen's side on the couch, she put her arm around her ex-lovers body and pulled her in close as she could. After everything that Maureen had done, Joanne wanted Maureen to be happy more then anything, and she knew that Maureen didn't want to have a child, and Joanne knew that Maureen wasn't happy. How could she be? She was pregnant with a child that wasn't supposed to happen, and the father probably didn't even know.

"Who's the father?" Joanne asked silently

Maureen pulled herself away from Joanne and looked at her.

"You'll hate me." Maureen answered

"I already do baby. I just want to know, fuck, I deserve to know who the father is,"

Maureen looked at Joanne.

"Roger." Maureen answered

Joanne looked at Maureen, she didn't know what to say, or feel.

"Why?" Joanne asked

"I don't know. All I know is that I made a mistake and that I've fucked up both our lives. I don't know if Roger knows that he's the father, He probably thinks its some guy that I met while I was in Jersey."

"That's where you've been all this time? Jersey?" Joanne asked

Maureen nodded.

"What the hell were you doing there?" Joanne asked again

"I worked, here and there. Some clothing stores, they fired me right away when I started to show. Then one of the girls and her boyfriend from work were driving out to LA, so I decided to go with them. We packed up and we started driving then they stopped on Avenue B, and told me to get out. I got out and now I'm here." Maureen explained

"Maureen." Joanne whispered

Joanne brought Maureen's head to hers, she kissed Maureen slightly and then looked at Maureen.

"Roger and I have both been fucked up since you left. Roger hasn't been the same and we've all wondered why." Joanne explained "And I guess now I do."

Maureen paused. Roger had been fucked up since she left? Could he love her? Was it possible that she wasn't the only one that had experienced that spark when they made love?

"Listen. Joanne. I'm really sorry. For what I did to you. You deserve so much better then me. You deserve someone who can love you twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. Ever week of the month. You deserve someone fun and spunky. But someone who can be serious. I love you and I want nothing for you but happiness and to find that love, you and I both know that I'm not your love."

Joanne hung her head. "I know what your saying is true. But its taken me seven months to get over you, and I'm still not fully over you. I love you, I loved you more then I had ever loved anyone. And I know that we aren't meant to be together, your meant to be with whoever can make you happy. We had a good time though right?" Joanne asked, looking up at Maureen. Tears in both of their eyes.

"Yes, of course. We had an amazing time honey. Amazing!" Maureen kissed Joanne, and they both knew at that moment that it was the last kiss they were to share as a couple.

"I love you Maureen. No matter what you did. I will always love you.' Joanne smiled, and kissed Maureen this time on the cheek.

"I love you too Joanne."

Maureen and Joanne sat for awhile, not talking then the girl side of them both came out and Maureen started asking questions about Joanne's life while she was gone. What she had done, who she had done. And if she had met anyone she thought she could love forever.


End file.
